Ivanhoe Posted January 9 Posted January 9 https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/california-fire-water-tanks-went-dry-palisades-rcna186860 Quote Immense demand for water to fight the fast-moving Palisades Fire led all three of the community’s water tanks — and some fire hydrants — to temporarily dry up in the last 24 hours or so. https://nypost.com/2025/01/09/us-news/gov-newsom-passes-the-buck-to-local-folks-when-asked-about-hydrants-running-out-of-water-during-pacific-palisades-fire/ Quote California Gov. Gavin Newsom passed the blame on to “local folks” when grilled over fire hydrants running out of water during the raging Pacific Palisades fire — and said he couldn’t even respond to President-elect Donald Trump’s accusations that he mismanaged the state’s water supply. Newsom, in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, said local officials need to figure out why the hydrants in Los Angeles ran dry and left firefighters helpless as countless homes burned down in the ritzy neighborhood overnight into Wednesday. “Look, the local folks are trying to figure that out,” he told Cooper, who asked about the hydrant situation. Quote While Newsom came under fire for blocking the water relocation order, Bass was slammed for cutting $17.6 million from the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, instead prioritizing funding for homeless services. She was trashed by her own constituents for being 7,400 miles away in Africa to attend the inauguration of Ghana’s president as wildfires engulfed her city. https://www.dailywire.com/news/lafd-fire-chief-says-dei-is-a-top-priority Quote As fires rage through the Los Angeles area, Kristin M. Crowley, the first woman and lesbian to become Los Angeles Fire Department Chief, is facing harsh criticism for her focus on DEI initiatives instead of a pure meritocracy. Crowley, who was appointed fire chief by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2022, launched a diversity, equity, and inclusion bureau in January 2023, and prepared to implement a three-year plan committing the LAFD to an organization embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion. There are reports that a bunch of people in LA lost their home insurance policies last year. Not surprising, areas of the US that experience extreme events have had insurance rates skyrocket. Since it is overwhelmingly the houses of rich folks that are getting burned down, kinda of a lower-level tragedy in my mind. If the fire makes it to Santa Monica, it could wipe out a bunch of middle-class people. There seems to be a lot of folks trying to shelter in place. To me, that's suicidal. There are things a homeowner simply cannot fight; hurricanes, floods, fires. The only rational response is to get out early. If you wait for the evac order, the highways may be clogged and then you're on foot.
rmgill Posted January 9 Posted January 9 Lets see. New state regulation made insurance worse...so many pulled out of the state. State regulations prevented clearing brush. State regulations prevented water supplies being available. LA City curtailed the fire department budget. LA city focused on DEI for it's departments, including the fire department. Who could have seen these fires coming?
NickM Posted January 9 Posted January 9 I see they are too stunning and brave to do controlled burns or cut fire breaks
NickM Posted January 9 Posted January 9 1 minute ago, rmgill said: Lets see. New state regulation made insurance worse...so many pulled out of the state. State regulations prevented clearing brush. State regulations prevented water supplies being available. LA City curtailed the fire department budget. LA city focused on DEI for it's departments, including the fire department. Who could have seen these fires coming? I wonder if the stunning g and brave fire chief ever even fought a fire in her career
JWB Posted January 9 Posted January 9 People are lighting fires in otherwise non-burning urban areas of LA. Saw this happen first hand at 302 Pico in Santa Monica. Called it in & fire dept & police responded. Stay safe and call in any activity ASAP. We don’t need more flames out here. https://x.com/hubermanlab/status/1877236580676493784
rmgill Posted January 9 Posted January 9 Oh, another thing. I heard a report that Eucalyptus trees have been planted as an ornamental and they're VERY flammable. Naturally they've spread as an invasive species and are not helping things.
NickM Posted January 9 Posted January 9 9 minutes ago, Mr King said: The two news headlines are barely a month apart. My, my ain't that a diverse and stunning and brave picture. I'm still wondering if any of em ever fought an actual fire
NickM Posted January 9 Posted January 9 48 minutes ago, Mr King said: They get what they dei-serve Do you got a linky to the story, before it gets disappeared?⁸
rmgill Posted January 9 Posted January 9 (edited) Sarcastic response... helpful response.... 😁 Edited January 9 by rmgill
Mr King Posted January 9 Posted January 9 7 minutes ago, NickM said: Do you got a linky to the story, before it gets disappeared?⁸ https://www.npr.org/2023/06/05/1180213128/firefighting-is-mostly-white-and-male-a-california-program-aims-to-change-that
Stuart Galbraith Posted January 9 Posted January 9 https://x.com/a_toots/status/1877355752425165147?t=aIA2O-Ue0ySEJrX11gPDQA&s=19 That's apparently the real skyline btw.
Mr King Posted January 9 Posted January 9 5 minutes ago, Stuart Galbraith said: https://x.com/a_toots/status/1877355752425165147?t=aIA2O-Ue0ySEJrX11gPDQA&s=19 That's apparently the real skyline btw. Escape from LA vibes
NickM Posted January 9 Posted January 9 1 hour ago, Mr King said: https://www.npr.org/2023/06/05/1180213128/firefighting-is-mostly-white-and-male-a-california-program-aims-to-change-that No place to add comments, that can see
Stuart Galbraith Posted January 9 Posted January 9 9 minutes ago, Mr King said: Escape from LA vibes Yes, and Bladerunner too.
Stuart Galbraith Posted January 9 Posted January 9 Juan Brown did some really good coverage as well, particularly on firebombing. I gather he was flying as a spotter on occasion.
rmgill Posted January 9 Posted January 9 And Miracle Mile. The people escaping must have had that vibe ....
Ivanhoe Posted January 9 Author Posted January 9 3 hours ago, rmgill said: Oh, another thing. I heard a report that Eucalyptus trees have been planted as an ornamental and they're VERY flammable. Naturally they've spread as an invasive species and are not helping things. No. https://www.independent.com/2011/01/15/how-eucalyptus-came-california/ Originally intended for construction lumber and railroad ties.
rmgill Posted January 9 Posted January 9 But now, ornamental OR spreading outside of the groves. From your cited article... Eucalyptus recently: Today, millions of acres globally are covered by eucalyptus, as forests, shade trees, anchors along canals, ornamentals, windbreaks, or plantations. Their adaptability allows them to grow where other plants can’t, such as lands that have been ruined by mining or poor agricultural practices. They’re still used in medical products (including antiseptics, decongestants, and stimulants), foods (such as cough drops and sweets), perfumes, toothpastes, industrial solvents, menthol cigarettes, and more. (But be careful, because eucalyptus bark and leaves, and consequently eucalyptus oil, are toxic if ingested or absorbed through the skin at high doses. It’s especially poisonous to cats.) Eucalyptus is also a source of quality pulp. In a controversial case of history potentially repeating itself, these factors have caused eucalyptus plantations to crop up in many developing countries, particularly in Thailand. Due to the contentious social and environmental impacts of this, much criticism has been cast upon the international corporations spearheading these projects. In addition to these new plantations, there are other divisive issues surrounding the eucalyptus today. Blue gum can be invasive in California, aggressively spreading from its original planting if enough water is present, such as in the form of fog. The bark strips dropped by the blue gums are extremely flammable, which can lead to intense fires, such as the Oakland Firestorm of 1991. Additionally, in eucalyptus groves outside of their native homes, ecosystem development faces many challenges. Because most eucalyptus trees were grown from seeds from Australia, few eucalyptus insect pests traveled with the eucalyptus to their new homes. Fifty-seven Australian mammal species that normally live in eucalyptus groves, including koalas, wallabies, and pandemelons, as well as over 200 bird species, didn’t make the voyage either. Because the eucalyptus leaves and bark are poisonous, the mammals that feed off of it had to evolve mechanisms to deal with these toxins. Other mammals won’t eat the eucalyptus. Overall, this results in a small degree of species diversity in eucalyptus groves. Australian plants and animals never arrived; native plants and animals are pushed out. While the eucalyptus is certainly not as devastating to its new home as some non-native plants and animals have been, its story should still serve as a cautionary tale: Think before you plant.
rmgill Posted January 9 Posted January 9 3 minutes ago, Mr King said: If only it was soy milk. Then it would be extra perfect.
Ivanhoe Posted January 9 Author Posted January 9 In the neighborhood I grew up in, the Eucalyptus were there decades before the first house went in.
lucklucky Posted January 9 Posted January 9 (edited) 24 minutes ago, rmgill said: But now, ornamental OR spreading outside of the groves. From your cited article... Eucalyptus recently: Today, millions of acres globally are covered by eucalyptus, as forests, shade trees, anchors along canals, ornamentals, windbreaks, or plantations. Their adaptability allows them to grow where other plants can’t, such as lands that have been ruined by mining or poor agricultural practices. They’re still used in medical products (including antiseptics, decongestants, and stimulants), foods (such as cough drops and sweets), perfumes, toothpastes, industrial solvents, menthol cigarettes, and more. (But be careful, because eucalyptus bark and leaves, and consequently eucalyptus oil, are toxic if ingested or absorbed through the skin at high doses. It’s especially poisonous to cats.) Eucalyptus is also a source of quality pulp. In a controversial case of history potentially repeating itself, these factors have caused eucalyptus plantations to crop up in many developing countries, particularly in Thailand. Due to the contentious social and environmental impacts of this, much criticism has been cast upon the international corporations spearheading these projects. In addition to these new plantations, there are other divisive issues surrounding the eucalyptus today. Blue gum can be invasive in California, aggressively spreading from its original planting if enough water is present, such as in the form of fog. The bark strips dropped by the blue gums are extremely flammable, which can lead to intense fires, such as the Oakland Firestorm of 1991. Additionally, in eucalyptus groves outside of their native homes, ecosystem development faces many challenges. Because most eucalyptus trees were grown from seeds from Australia, few eucalyptus insect pests traveled with the eucalyptus to their new homes. Fifty-seven Australian mammal species that normally live in eucalyptus groves, including koalas, wallabies, and pandemelons, as well as over 200 bird species, didn’t make the voyage either. Because the eucalyptus leaves and bark are poisonous, the mammals that feed off of it had to evolve mechanisms to deal with these toxins. Other mammals won’t eat the eucalyptus. Overall, this results in a small degree of species diversity in eucalyptus groves. Australian plants and animals never arrived; native plants and animals are pushed out. While the eucalyptus is certainly not as devastating to its new home as some non-native plants and animals have been, its story should still serve as a cautionary tale: Think before you plant. eucalyptus have less green cover than many other trees. I also should note that many fires do not consume the main trees trunks. It is foliage and branches that make the fires. From the images i have seen of the area hit, it seems a giant nice beautiful green area with beautiful homes, a sort of fashion, cultural statement with a lot of natural combustible. Lots of trees in an area affected by desert influenced/semi arid climate means big fires will happen. People that disneyfied nature. Or just beauty first, environmentalism second, safety third... I would bet that area of Los Angeles got greener as time went by even if so by trees getting older(bigger). Edited January 9 by lucklucky
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now